PROFIT - THE KIND OF HORSE ANY TRAINER WOULD WANT IN THEIR STABLE

By Graham Potter | Friday, February 11, 2022

As trainer Chris Anderson says, he is the kind of horse anyone would want in their stable.

Profit, a five-year-old son of Dundeel, is a six-time winner from twenty-five starts (a 24% winning strike rate) and he has also finished in second or third on another ten occasions (for a 64% place strike rate) … not to mention the fact that he has already banked $423 348 in prize-money.

A number of those results have come at a more than decent level, including two third placings the Tatts Recognition Stakes, behind The Harrovian, and the Lough Neah Stake, behind Stampe, and a fourth place behind Vanna Girl in the Daybreak Lover …. all Listed races.

Of particular note though, is the fact that Profit was back in the winner’s enclosure last start winning third-up when stepping up to 1600m for the first time in this preparation. That run, backed by his overall credentials, augers very well for his chances in Open Handicap over 1630m at Doomben on Saturday.

“He was really good last time … aided by a great ride by Kyle (Wilson-Taylor),” said Anderson. “Kyle started his run early. He knew what he had under him.

“I think that is the benefit of some of these jockeys coming to ride fast week for you on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. They get a real feel for the horse and it gives them a real understanding of what they have underneath them, and that showed with the level of confidence Kyle had that allowed him to do what he did.

“Had he not been riding the horse and working hard, he might not have executed the plan the way he did in that last start.”

Kyle Wilson-Taylor is back aboard Profit again on Saturday looking to take the gelding to consecutive race wins for the first time since he won his first two career starts back in August 2019 … and the horse does look primed for it.

In the three runs since coming back in on the back of a four-month layoff, Profit finished third in a Listed Lough Neagh when resuming. He then followed that up with an unplaced run in the Magic Millions Cup before getting back to business in the best possible way by winning in his third-up when racing over a more favourable distance (1600m) than the 1400m of those first two runs back.

“His first-up run was very good,” said Anderson. “As far as the Magic Millions run was concerned, he was never going to be well suited to the 1400m, second-up … never!

“He is a horse that wants a mile and beyond, but you don’t get $1 million races presented to you every day of the week, so we opted to try and give him a month between runs, between first-up and second-up, just to try and keep him on that fresher side … but, unfortunately, when we drew the gate we drew (barrier 18) our fate was sealed.

‘He went back to last and was never in contention at any stage. He was just warming up late and, in the end, he was only beaten by just under five lengths which wasn’t a bad effort, particularly compared to how far away he was in the run.

“He then came out and won. We took the blinkers off him last start which has helped. We’ve just really mixed up his work and changed a lot of things up … and experimented with him too … and he has obviously responded really well as a result of all of that.”

Profit is currently the $3.50 favourite for his race on Saturday.

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